The Islands and Small States Institute (ISSI) at the University of Malta has received yet another mark of excellence as its Climate Vulnerability and Resilience Index project was launched in Dubai at the 28th climate conference of the parties, organised by the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The climate index is supported by the Maltese Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFET), and will be developed in cooperation with the Organisation for African Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). This will further strengthen the research that aims at refining appropriate metrics to be applicable to a wider array of states and territories, including small island developing states (SIDS).
Prime Minister through this multidimensional climate index. Dr Abela was speaking at the COP28 side-event co-organised by ISSI and MFET on Friday 1 December in Dubai. The event discussed how the international community could continue fostering climate adaptation and increasing the resilience of small islands.
The index builds on the research and work carried out over the last decades by Prof. Lino Briguglio and, more recently, also by Dr Stefano Moncada. Vulnerability in the context of a country has been defined by Prof. Briguglio as “exposure of a country to adverse external shocks not of the country’s own making”. It is well known that SIDS tend to be highly exposed to external shocks because of their inherent characteristics, mostly associated with a high degree of trade-openness export concentration, and limited resource endowment. It should be emphasised also that vulnerability is not the same thing as poverty. A country with a high degree of vulnerability may experience stability and succeed economically if policies are put in place to enable it to withstand exposure to external shocks. Conversely a country with a low degree of exposure to external shocks, but exhibiting low effective governance, may experience socio-economic instability and poverty.
For further details/interviews please contact Dr Stefano Moncada either by sending an email or by phone on +356 23402117.
